A sharing model, set of due diligence tools, and watch list are all included with FreightConnect, which uses a subscription-based model.
The Internet of (More) Things
Much of the technology in current use consists of what is often referred to as “the Internet of Things” (IoT). This is the process by which objects, from coffee makers and refrigerators and other home appliances to vehicles, industrial machinery, and urban infrastructure, are able to communicate, collect, and exchange data through information networks.
Billions of objects are already incorporated into IoT and have penetrated the transportation sector, including vehicles, scanners, facilities, and even packaging able to gather and share data. It is estimated that by the year 2025 IoT will consist of almost 50 billion objects and will generate over $11 billion in revenue.
Food safety applications
Locus Traxx Worldwide is already on the IoT bandwagon and taking advantage of its many possibilities. Products and services focus on improved delivery times, food safety, shelf life, and security to bring shippers into full compliance with federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) mandates for the sanitary transportation of food.
“The law affects everyone involved in the transportation of refrigerated and frozen food, regardless of how the load gets shipped,” explains Hartman. “These records must be available for one year and turned over to the Food and Drug Administration within twenty-four hours. Locus Traxx provides FSMA compliance with real-time monitoring, and all reports are stored indefinitely.”
The company’s flagship monitoring device is the GO LUX, which monitors temperature, location, and security of goods in transit, regardless of location, and adds a light sensor to secure shipments for cross-border movement that can detect inspection, delivery, or tampering. The GO LUX deivce is also available with an extended battery for longer shipping times.
In addition to intelligent sensor reports available in a number of formats, Locus Traxx software provides constant, customizable online tracking. “Every year,” Hartman explains, “customers save hundreds of thousands of dollars in what would have been lost shipments. The ability to take corrective action before a shipment is damaged, resulting in rejections and claims, is an evolutionary shift for the industry.”
Adding operational value
Someone who knows a thing or two about missing or lost shipments is Jerry Pilecky, logistics manager for Wisconsin-based RPE Inc. He is well aware of IoT’s capabilities and how much value it adds to his company’s goal of delivering high-quality produce.
“It was a Tuesday morning in May 1996,” Pilecky recalls, “when each phone call was answered with great anticipation. We were waiting on a missing driver, who had loaded imported grapes in Philadelphia on Friday. That was the last phone contact we had with him, and the cargo was worth over $50,000.” Remember, he reminds us, “There were no cell phones to speak of, no tracking devices to ease my mind; each phone call was more tense than the last.”
